This Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park has drawn a field of eight 3-year-olds for the 2023 edition, including Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness third-place finisher Mage for trainer Gustavo Delgado. The son of Good Magic has been tabbed as the 3-1 co-second choice on the morning line.
The top choice at 5-2 will be the undefeated Bob Baffert trainee Arabian Knight, last seen at Oaklawn Park winning the G3 Southwest Stakes.
Other strong contenders in the Haskell include Tapit Trice (3-1), Grade 1 winner and last-out Belmont Stakes third-place finisher for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Geaux Rocket Ride (9-2), a Southern California shipper for trainer Richard Mandella whose last out was a win in the listed Affirmed Stakes on June 4.
A strong undercard joins the Haskell at Monmouth Park Saturday, including the co-featured Grade 1, $600,000 United Nations Stakes with 10 entrants for the 1 3/8-mile turf contest. Supporting graded stakes on the undercard are the $500,000, Grade 3 Molly Pitcher with a field of eight fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the main track; the $300,000, Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on the grass, and the $400,000, Grade 3 Monmouth Cup at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt.
Sophomore fillies get their turn in the spotlight on Saturday as well, with the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga drawing a group of six looking to make their mark on the division. Saratoga's G3 Caress leads the undercard, a turf sprint for fillies and mares which drew a competitive field of five.
On the West Coast, the summer meet kicks off at Del Mar on Friday afternoon. Opening day features a 14-horse field of 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf in the Oceanside Stakes, while the 3-year-old fillies get their turn at the same distance in Saturday's G2 San Clemente (another full field).
Leading Sunday's graded stakes action is the 1 1/8-mile Shuvee Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares at the Spa, featuring the return to action of last year's 3-year-old champion filly Nest. She'll face the multiple Grade 1-winning Clairiere, winner of last year's edition of this race as well as her last two races.
Woodbine has drawn out some of Canada's best 3-year-olds, with the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks for the fillies taking top billing on Sunday afternoon. Trainer Kevin Attard will send out four chances to win his third straight edition of the race: Courtly Ro, Delphia, Fashionably Fab, and Wickenheiser. Sunday's blockbuster Woodbine card also features the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key race ahead of the King's Plate (August 20), the $175,000 Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T), and $150,000 Trillium Stakes (G3).
Saturday
5:06 p.m. – Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park
Trainer Mike Maker, who won the U.N. with Aquaphobia in 2020 and Bigger Picture in 2017, sends out three of the 10 horses in this year's edition: G1 winner Red Knight, Therapist, and Yamato. Of the Maker trio, Red Knight appears to be the most dangerous. Two starts back he captured the G1 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park at the identical distance of the United Nations.
They figure to face a still challenge from Catnip, who comes from the barn of Mike Stidham. Catnip, a son of Kitten's Joy, has won his last three races, including a hard-fought score in the G3 Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 17 in his most recent effort. Joel Rosario has been awarded the return call.
Another threat is the Brazilian-bred Planetario, who will be saddled by Richard Mandella and ridden by Mike Smith, both Hall of Famers in their respective categories. Mandella is looking to repeat history with the 5-year-old winner of the 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano (G3) at Santa Anita in his previous effort. Mandella won the United Nations with the Brazilian-bred Sandpit in back-to-back editions in 1995 and 1996.
5:42 p.m. – Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course
Wet Paint will look to regain winning form for conditioner Brad Cox in CCA Oaks. The bay daughter of Blame enters from a rallying runner-up effort to returning rival Hoosier Philly in the one-mile Monomoy Girl on June 17 at Ellis Park where she stalked a slow pace and pounced from last-of-5 to improve to third at the stretch call. She made up ground in the stretch under Tyler Gaffalione, but settled for second 3 1/2 lengths back of the winner. The Monomoy Girl was her first start since finishing a closing fourth as the post-time favorite in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs.
Gambling Girl came up a neck shy of victory last out in the Kentucky Oaks, sweeping from 11th in the field of 14 to steadily make up ground down the lane and finish second, at 13-1 odds, to the victorious Brendan Walsh trainee Pretty Mischievous.
Hoosier Philly [post 5, Edgar Morales] will face the first Grade 1 test of her career for trainer Tom Amoss. The daughter of Into Mischief earned her lone graded win in the Grade 2 Golden Rod in November at Churchill Downs, which capped a three-race win streak she posted to kick off her career. This year, Hoosier Philly started her campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds Race Course and followed with a fourth in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks before a brief layoff, returning with a game runner-up effort to Taxed in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.
Graded stakes-winner Southlawn [post 1, Florent Geroux] will look to rebound from a troubled 10th in the Kentucky Oaks where she bumped with rivals into the first turn and encountered more traffic trouble when swinging wide and brushing with foes again into the stretch. Trained by Norm Casse and campaigned by Robert E. Masterson, the Pioneerof the Nile bay entered the Oaks from a clear 3 1/4-length victory over Pretty Mischievous in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, equaling a career-best 86 Beyer.
She's Lookin Lucky [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche] steps back up to graded level after a seven-length first-level optional claiming romp over a sloppy and sealed main track on June 29 at Ellis Park. Trained by Matt Shirer, the daughter of Lookin At Lucky dueled for the early lead before coming away with the advantage at the half-mile call and drawing away at the top of the stretch under Luis Saez, garnering an 86 Beyer for the victory. The effort was a marked improvement from a distant fourth in her prior race traveling a one-turn mile on June 2 at Churchill.
Completing the field is graded stakes-placed Sacred Wish [post 3, Manny Franco], who finished second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in April for trainer George Weaver.
5:45 p.m. – Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park
The highly-regarded but lightly-raced Arabian Knight will put his unblemished record on the line as the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of eight sophomores in Saturday's $1 million Haskell. Arabian Knight, a son of champion Uncle Mo and a $2.3 million purchase by Zedan Racing Stables, will be making his third career start. He is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who is looking to add to his record nine Haskell wins.
Mage, trained by Gustavo Delgado, surged to the front in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the Kentucky Derby by a length. Two weeks later, he finished third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 20. Listed as the 3-1 co-second choice, Mage will be ridden by Javier Castellano from post four.
Tapit Trice, also listed at 3-1, comes into the Haskell off a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1). Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden from post five by Luis Saez, Tapit Trice has won three races this year, including the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, which he won prior to his seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
Coming in from the West Coast and making just his fourth career start is Geaux Rocket Ride (9-2) for trainer Richard Mandella. Winner of the 1 1/16-mile Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park on June 4, Geaux Rocket Ride will be ridden by Mike Smith from post one.
Another runner making just his fourth start is Extra Anejo. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Extra Anejo won a 1-mile allowance optional claiming race by 6 ¼ lengths at Ellis Park in his last race on June 10. Tyler Gaffalione rides, breaking from post seven.
Salute the Stars, a winner of the listed Pegasus Stakes here in his last start, will look to keep trainer Brad Cox's Haskell record perfect. Cox took over his training in mid-winter, switched him from the turf to dirt, and the colt hasn't lost since.
9:05 p.m. – Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar
Sixteen runners have signed on for the 56th edition of the San Clemente on the second day of the Del Mar meeting, though only 14 will go postward.
As is often the case with these full-field offerings, the race looms as a wide-open betting affair. A possible favorite may be Anisette, a relative newcomer to the California racing scene who was impressive in her local debut on May 29 when she came running late to capture an allowance race at Santa Anita. The British-bred and raced daughter of the Irish stallion Awtaad works out of the barn of trainer Leonard Powell and will be handled Saturday by Umberto Rispoli.
Powell, a French transplant who is a conditioner on the rise, also has another Euro he'll run in the test in Wed, a French-bred miss who'll be making her U.S. debut and will have top rider Juan Hernandez along for the trip. The daughter of the Irish sire Profitable was a Group 2 stakes winner as a 2-year-old in her native land, but will be making her U.S. bow Saturday.
Other interesting contenders include dirt-to-turf transfer Justique, a filly who drew much attention with her smashing last-to-first maiden debut but has since failed to live up to that promise on the dirt. Unraced since March, Justique draws in off the also-eligible list for trainer John Shirreffs.
Another dirt-to-turf angle comes from the barn of Peter Miller. And Tell Me Nolies finished second in the Santa Anita Oaks to earn a trip to the Kentucky Oaks, but finished 12th beneath the Twin Spires and has since finished last in a Grade 2 on the dirt at Santa Anita. The Arrogate filly, a Grade 1-winning 2-year-old, will try turf for the first time.
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